Cycle Scheme shop recommendations please

goosey

Hi folks, I'm writing an article about shops that do a bit more for their customers, under the Cycle to Work scheme. Maybe you had a particularly good experience, had special requirements or were a complete newbie and got the best advice and support?
Please recommend your bike shop and help me put together a list of top local bike shops, big or small.
And if you are a bike shop, don't be shy about recommending yourselves!
Thanks!

robwinder

I've just done a cyclescheme purchase and visited a number of shops. Most were very helpful, with staff asking questions about what I was looking for and what my riding plans were then offering suggestions of bikes to buy. Most offered test rides too. I had positive experiences at: Edwardes Cycles, Apex Cylces, London Bicycle Workshop and Cyclesurgery (Holborn). I had a terrible experience at Evans (Mortimer st) where the assistant did not listen and just seemed to want to sell me a fast road bike - which was not what I was looking for. I ended up buying at Cyclesurgery because they stocked the bike I preferred after test riding.

The Rookie

Sounds like you want to create a web page and make money from advertising.

It's meaningless of course as the limitations from many schemes mean you don't get a free choice, most on here will choose the bike first and then the best retailer for them to deal with while 'Joe public' will probably visit a single shop and choose a bike they can show them and after a chat with a salesman and won't even look for suggestions online.

If you are creating a web page of recommended outlets you need to list the schemes each one is allied to or it's rather pointless unless you are aiming for hits (revenue) rather than actual usefulness?